The RAV4 = All things to all men?

A note to readers of this review
For this particular vehicle, I’m going to step away from my usual style of reviewing which involves throwing around numbers and ranting about how the car handles and accelerates. Although I will talk about those things, I’m going to focus on the aspects of the car that RAV4 buyers will likely care about. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment.

The RAV4: What is it?
The small SUV market started exploding in the late 90s and the early part of the new millennium. The buyers of vehicles in the class were often young people starting families, who wanted the benefits of an SUV (like increased ride height and optional four-wheel drive) along with the youthful and peppy nature of a compact car. The most memorable offerings were the Honda CR-V, the Ford Escape, the Subaru Forester, and this: the Toyota RAV4. The RAV4 (Recreational Active Vehicle, 4 wheel drive) was the first of the bunch, appearing in Japan in 1994 and in the US in 1996. It was highly successful, although a bit ugly. For 2001, the ugly RAV4 was redesigned and transformed into a beautiful car (especially with the “L” package and the available rear spoiler). The car was unchanged until 2004, when it had a few minor changes done. The 2005 is the same as well, and a new RAV4 will debut in 2006.

Exterior
Now that I’ve beaten the history of the car to death, allow me to talk about the exterior. The RAV, unlike the latest Camry and Corolla, doesn’t have that plasticky look to it. Toyota’s recent design trends have been dismal in my opinion; all the new cars are too tall and look like they’re made out of plastic. This is not the case with the RAV4. It sits at a majestic height and has subtle styling cues which made it look really aggressive and beautiful at the same time. The wheel arches, for example, bulge out and suggest power and muscle. The plastic on the headlamps is fully clear, giving the “eyes” of the car some depth, and the side panels are sculpted to make the RAV look poised and curvy.

One controversial bit is the hood scoop, added in 2004. While it makes the RAV look even more aggressive than it already is, it might be a bit too youthful for older buyers. Thankfully, however, it is still possible to get the RAV with a normal scoop-less hood.

In short, the RAV is a sexy car. It’s aggressive and beautiful simultaneously, which is what we want to see in a car.

Interior
The RAV, being a Toyota, has durable and high quality materials scattered throughout the interior. However, being an economical car, it does have some signs of corner-cutting. The material used for the top of the dash, for example, is easy to clean and practical, but it is a bit hard to the touch. The plastic near the shifter and the handbrake suffers from the same problem. However, this being a car priced at around $20k, it is unfair to expect much more.

Road and wind noise are readily heard, but then again, this is an SUV and not a Lexus sedan. The road noise can be remedied to a certain extent with better tires. On most roads at moderate speeds, noise isn’t really a problem at all.

The leather used for the leather seats is different from the leather on the Camry or Avalon. The RAV’s leather is “sport” leather, which basically means that there are tiny pores on the seats and that the seats are firmer. They are also really easy to clean. The front seats, with the leather option, are supportive and firm, and don’t tire out the occupants on trips lasting a couple of hours. The back seats are okay for short trips, but squeezing three medium-large adults could be a problem on trips lasting longer than an hour or two.

I didn’t spend too much time in the cloth seats, so I don’t feel I’m qualified to comment on them.

The leg room in the front is great, especially when the seats are pushed back. The back seat leg room, however, is not so great for anyone over 5ּ’’ or so, even when the rear seats are all the way back (yes, the rear seats do have adjustable backs and move forward and backward like the front seats). If there were tall people in both the front and rear seats, the person in the rear seat would have his knees touching the back of the front seat. If you buy this car, kindly allow tall people to sit in the front whenever possible.

Other than those complaints, the interior is great. Like any Toyota, all the controls are straightforward and well-placed so you will never have to crack the manual open. The buttons are very durable and can take a lot of abuse.

Practicality and Day-to-Day Use
The average RAV4 buyer is going to be doing some grocery shopping and hauls from Home Depot with the company of precious children. There is no doubt that practicality is a concern, and the RAV excels.

There are many little details scattered about that make this a great car for all-round daily use. For example, all the door handles on the RAV (except the back) are the kind you grab and pull, allowing for easy and practical entry. The rear seats, as mentioned above move forward and backward and have adjustable backs. As an added bonus, they come out when you want them to. Not that you’ll be doing that often, because the rear cargo space is good, especially with the rear seats moved forward a bit. The cargo area has 6 or 8 little hooks on the sides to hold your precious grocery bags so that you don’t have avocados rolling about in the back. In addition to the expected cargo space, there are 2 cubbies in the side walls of the cargo area which have doors, so you can store your water bottles or private items in protected places, protecting them for prying eyes or harsh temperatures (how many times have you been dying of thirst only to find that the only water bottle available in the car is nearing the temperature of the sun?).

Another neat feature in the cargo area is that the small rack hovering over it (useful for light items) has pull out shades in the back of it which latch on to the seats, giving your cargo some privacy and protection from the sun. In this manner, no one can see what’s in the cargo area unless they get out of the car and open the back door.

The rise of high gas prices has caused people to regard SUVs as gas-guzzling monsters, and for the most part, they are. Not this one, however. Toyota claims that the 2.4 liter engine will average 24 MPG city and 30 MPG highway. How’s that for practicality? You can take this thing out for a thrashing and not feel guilty about killing baby seals.

Another really nice practical touch is the full-size spare wheel, which is standard. Nothing is worse than riding around with 3 tires and a donut until you have time to replace your tire.

The available roof rack is fully adjustable and makes this car even more practical.

Performance
As I promised at the beginning, I will try to keep this section short and sweet. For 2004, the RAV got a new 2.4 liter 4 cylinder engine with VVT-i. Whereas the previous engine’s performance was dismal and didn’t really fit the youthful nature of everything else, the new engine offers more get-up-and-go, with 161 horsepower instead of 148. Although it isn’t a super car, the RAV gets the job done and fulfills the needs of a grocery hauler or a soccer mom.

Two transmissions are available: a 5-speed manual and a 4-speed automatic. If you don’t have kids to worry constantly about and you aren’t on your cell phone 24/7, then the manual is a good choice, because it gives you a performance boost and lets you be in full control of the car. The auto isn’t too bad either; it shifts pretty smoothly and revs high when you want it to.

The suspension is a bit unforgiving, and bumps are readily transferred to your bottom. Then again, as I said above, this is an SUV and not a luxury sedan.

I won’t say much about the handling other than that it’s maneuverable in tight spaces. Don’t thank about taking corners at speed, because although you’ll probably be fine, this is a tall vehicle and is more likely to roll over than a car.

The RAV comes in front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive. The 4WD is amazingly good in snow and rough terrain, and it’s (obviously) great in daily use as well.

The brakes are excellent, and were actually a bit startling in my first drive. ABS is standard, as in most cars today. The brakes have some technology called Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist, which are supposed to help slow you down without losing control of the car.

Other stuff that RAV4 buyers may want to know…
The RAV, like all Toyotas, is seriously reliable. Although I don’t recommend it, you could do no regular maintenance to this car and beat it up constantly and it will still be good to you, like a faithful dog. Again, make sure you follow the maintenance schedule recommended by Toyota as closely as possible.

Another Toyota trait of the RAV is its resale value. Just for the fact that it’s a Toyota, people will pay a premium for it when you decide to part with it.

The car takes 87 octane fuel and gets 24 MPG city and 30 MPG highway (four wheel drive gets a couple less), so it won’t drain your wallet. The fuel tank holds 14.8 gallons, in case you wanted to know.

All five seats have seatbelts which go over your shoulder, across your chest, and horizontally across your lap area (the safest kind).

Conclusion
The 2005 RAV4 is a great car, and is ideal for a wide range of people (20-40) with dynamic lifestyles. It’s practical, inexpensive, beautiful, reliable, and versatile. Most of it’s competitors are miles behind. In fact, the only real competition for the RAV4 is the Honda CR-V, which plays the same game. When in the market for a small SUV be sure to test drive both of these cars, and use your own opinion to choose which to buy.

Keep in mind that a new RAV is being released for the 2006 model year, and that Toyota says it's bigger and better in every way. If you're going to buy this car, the end of 2005 and the beginning of 2006 is a great time to buy because dealers will be cutting prices on the 2005s to make room for the redesigned 2006s.

Happy shopping!